The Duchess of Sussex has been painting her new British life in the Cotswolds as picturesque, but some neighbours have taken a different view. Reports suggest a lukewarm reception, with one resident offering a scathing six-word assessment: "People really just don't like her."
A Tale of Two Narratives
The Sussexes are rumoured to have settled in the idyllic region, and Meghan has shared montages of countryside life on Instagram, including a clip of Harry driving a quadbike with Archie and Lilibet, and the family's black Labrador Pula trotting behind. Another shows Meghan and Harry on a woodland dog walk, with the Duchess swapping her heels for wellies.
According to her old pal and biographer Omid Scobie, the Duchess once vowed never to return to the UK. Now, she is proudly waving the British flag - literally, with emojis - in her videos online.
'Beautiful Welcome' Claims
Meghan has been spotted at a pub with fellow expat Ellen DeGeneres and at Soho Farmhouse, a staple for the Cotswolds elite. Her longtime friend Kelly McKee Zajfen, who recently stayed with the Sussexes and enjoyed a fish and chip pub lunch, says Meghan has enjoyed a 'beautiful' welcome from the 'loving' British public. Kelly gushed on Instagram last week: "She missed you too!'"
Omid Scobie, once labelled as Meghan's 'mouthpiece', is back fuelling the Sussex machine. Last week he said that King Charles now has a 'warmth' towards Harry and Meghan - right after a war of words broke out when the monarch confirmed the couple remain 'private citizens'.
Royal watchers have questioned why the Duchess hasn't accompanied Harry on his first public events back, including the Well Child awards. A source quoted as close to Meghan says she believes her first public UK appearance is 'too valuable to waste'. "If Meghan can control the timing, she'd rather step out when the Sussexes have something important to announce or promote," they told journalist Rob Shuter.
Sussex 'Circus' and Local Fury
But this talk of warm welcomes is at odds with reports from some disgruntled neighbours. According to journalist Paula Froelich, their Cotswolds arrival met a lukewarm reception. Another source said Meghan is frequently spotted at Daylesford Organic Farm Shop in Moreton-in-Marsh, where an insider described how she "arrives on her own with a coterie of bodyguards during prime shopping times" and "walks around as if she is very important," according to the Express.
Local news site Gloucestershire Live reports that some locals find her presence "terribly inconvenient and annoying," while staff members are said to "just ignore her." Certain employees at The Three Horseshoes pub have allegedly "refused to serve" Meghan, and one resident called her security demands "hysterical." The Sussex "circus" may not go down well, according to another resident, who noted such fanfare is "unusual for this part of the world." The Express also claims neighbours have suggested the Sussexes ought to have "stayed in America" and "kept their mouths shut."
'It's Not How It's Done'
Fellow American Cotswolds resident Helen Kirwan-Taylor claims the move has divided the community. Writing in The i Paper, she says: "Many celebrities and minor royals have enrolled in the three best-known prep schools in the Cotswolds, yet never managed to capture so much as a local reporter's interest." She adds that British characteristics of keeping your head down are the best way to fit in. "My worry," she writes, "is that Harry and Meghan want attention which is not how it's done."
Clarkson 'Clash' and Security Woes
Jeremy Clarkson is rumoured to be considering banning Meghan from his pub The Farmer's Dog after she chose a nearby competitor for her meet-up with DeGeneres. Clarkson previously wrote a controversial column about Meghan in The Sun, deemed sexist by IPSO, the UK's press regulator. The publication apologised, with Meghan deeming the apology "nothing more than a PR stunt".
Security remains a key issue. Harry and Meghan recently pulled Archie and Lilibet from their co-educational day school due to security concerns with traffic. A planned 35-minute journey ended up much longer, with narrow roads and rush hour traffic creating "pinch points" that made it impossible for the family's private security team to keep their two-car convoy together. Splitting the children into separate vehicles left protection team members concerned they were "sitting ducks," forcing the couple to enrol them elsewhere.
Meghan also faced a privacy breach after her personal number was leaked via a school parents' WhatsApp group. A screenshot of the exchange was leaked, allegedly exposing her contact details. Sources close to the Sussexes described the leak as disappointing. The Mirror contacted Meghan's spokesperson for comment.
The disruption came as the government prepares a fresh risk assessment regarding Harry and Meghan's protection while in the UK. The Sussexes had their taxpayer-funded security stripped when they stepped down as working royals in 2020, and Harry has been campaigning for it back. The government department will now carry out a Risk Management Board hearing at his request after months of appeals, as The Mirror revealed. Those close to the couple told the Daily Mail that the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) review could influence whether they stay in the UK. If they don't get it back, reports suggest they could return to the US as soon as the October half-term holiday.
